Football | Absa Premiership

Pirates, Chippa with contrasting goals

Orlando Pirates will look to give their faint league title hopes a final push when they host Chippa United at the Orlando Stadium in an Absa Premiership match on Tuesday night, kick-off at 7:30pm.

Pirates recorded a last gasp 1-0 victory at Bidvest Wits this past weekend to resurrect their fading league title aspirations while Chippa on the other hand salvaged a point at home to fellow relegation dog fight rivals Ajax Cape Town in their derby match a few hours later.

The Buccaneers are placed third on the Absa Premiership log with 49 points from 26 matches. With log leaders Kaizer Chiefs holding a seven point lead over Pirates who have four games to pay until the conclusion of the season, the Bucs fans and personnel know that the race is far from over.

“We want to try and get to second place and get closer to Chiefs,” said Pirates coach Roger de Sa.

“Now we know that with Chiefs dropping points, anything is possible. We've just got to make sure we keep up our end of the business and not worry too much about the others.

“They (matches) just get tougher.

"At this stage the bottom teams are more difficult. We watched Chippa in their last two games and they've been very good.”

Chippa have been bottom of the table occupants for most of the season.

The Chilli Boys are in desperation mode and need to start bagging maximum points if they truly harbour any hopes of avoiding the dreaded chop.

They drew a second successive league match when they were held this past weekend.

The Cape side has yet to win away from home this season, suffering 10 defeats from 13 matches and are placed 16th on the Absa Premiership log with 21 points from 27 matches.

Chippa’ Vuyisile Ntombayithethi is hopeful that his side can keep their so far unbeaten record against Pirates and emulate their performance in the goalless draw late last year in Cape Town that earned them a point or hopefully better that result in a hope of leap fogging second from bottom Black Leopards who are just two points ahead of them.

“We need the points this time around. We will go to Orlando with the hope of securing maximum points because we are basically fighting for our careers now,” said the soft spoken player.

“We know that most teams from the coast do not normally do well up north but we have a game plan for Pirates and we won’t be targeting any specific player from their camp we just need the points especially after dropping two points against Ajax in a game that I think we should have won.”